


A Question Asked

by yourdykeinshiningarmor



Series: Sherlock Rare Pair Bingo Prompts [13]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Rair Pair Prompts, Rare Pairings, ring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 12:18:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4179588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourdykeinshiningarmor/pseuds/yourdykeinshiningarmor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anthea's fingers kept reflexively checking the right front pocket of her trousers, constantly checking that the contents were still safe within it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Question Asked

**Author's Note:**

> Rair Ship Bingo fill for the prompt 'Ring.' I know, not very original but I wanted some cute fluffiness.

Anthea was on edge; Anthea never was on edge. 

Mycroft  Anthea's fingers kept reflexively checking the right front pocket of her trousers watched as she paced, from her desk to the coffee service and back again.and he could see she was muttering under her breath, though he couldn't hear the words. 

Enough was enough.

The chair squeaked as he rose. "Anthea, dear, relax," Mycroft said as he strode over to the door.

Anthea stopped. "I'm fine, sir," she retorted, voice a bit harsher than she intended.

"Need I deduce how I know that to be false?" he asked, unperturbed by her unusual hostility.

Anthea's head shook even as she avoided her boss' gaze.

“I have no doubt that Ms. Hooper will be thrilled and more than happy to accept,” he said instead.

“You don't know that for certain,” she muttered under her breath. Part of her knew Mycroft was right, of course, but you didn't  _ really _ know until you asked.

“I know that Molly loves you deeply,” Mycroft replied seriously. “She sends you flowers or some other pedestrian form of affection each week, keeps a photo of you two from a holiday last summer in the south of France discretely on her desk, and hasn't left you or throttled me with all your work obligations.”

Anthea gave Mycroft another irritated look.

“Oh, don't make that face at me.” He waved a hand at her a placating gesture. “I was simply saying the  _ gestures _ were pedestrian, not that  _ she _ was.”

An eye roll was all that Anthea deigned to answer with.

“You’ve been together for, what, two years?” Mycroft asked. Unlike Sherlock, he had learned that people preferred to  _ tell _ you details about their lives as opposed to being  _ told _ .

Anthea smiled. “Actually, almost four.”

Mycroft lifted his eyebrow in question.

“You have no idea how relevant your ‘not throttled me with all your work obligations’ comment is. Working with her so much after the Fall to get Sherlock settled led to the occasional venting dinner which led to  _ actual _ dinner. It wasn't serious until after he returned because I was away so often, but that is when it all started.”

A smile crept across Mycroft’s lips at hearing the brief story; sometimes he enjoyed it when he got information wrong.

“My dear, if she stayed with you through that and can handle Sherlock, I doubt there is much that  _ could _ frighten her away.”

Anthea thought about it and nodded at the truth in the words, surprised that it seemed to sooth her. She was still nervous as hell, but no quite so on edge.

“Now, away with you. I believe you have a very important… engagement… to attend?” The corner of Mycroft’s mouth quirked up at his choice of words.

Anthea narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing. She heard him giggle as he returned to his office, and she simply shook her head as she gathered the last of her things. She took a deep breath as she walked out, nerves trying to get the better of her again; she was fairly certain she would rather be facing down an insurgent in a knife fight than what she was going to do after dinner tonight.

——————-

The park was pleasantly quiet as they strolled down the gravel path. Anthea had managed to not ask while at dinner or at some point during the play they had seen. Molly had suggested walking home since it was still fairly warm, a shortcut through the park the obvious choice.

“I’ve always loved the thought of walking through these gravelled paths, all old and wrinkled, with my spouse. Used to get excited as a kid whenever I saw an elderly couple walking by.” They had been walking in silence and Molly’s voice a bit wistful.

Anthea nodded, not really sure how to respond. Some time later later, Molly broke the quiet again.

“I was eating lunch here a few weekends ago and I swear I saw half a dozen wedding parties taking pictures down by the lake or over by the gardens.”

Anthea frowned this time as she nodded; did Molly know? She still didn't say anything. 

After a few more minutes of listening to the crunching gravel beneath their feet, Molly ventured again.

“I’ve always fancied a summer wedding. All the soft colors and warm sunshine.” Her voice was wistful again.

This time Anthea risked a glance at Molly. She could see a tiny half-smile twitching at the corner of her mouth, even though she refused to  _ look _ at Anthea.

“You’re awfully quiet this evening.” Molly finally did look at her, eyes soft and warm.

“Will you marry me?” Anthea blurted out. As soon as the words left her lips she chastised herself. It wasn't how she intended to do and now she had mucked it all up. She closed her eyes and let her head drop a bit, stopping there in the middle of the pathway.

Molly’s giggles and a tug from where their hands were joined forced Anthea to open her eyes.

“Took you long enough!” she answered good-naturedly, laughter dancing through her words. “Of course, I will.” 

Anthea frowned. “Took me… what do you mean?”

“You think you are the only one to pick up some deductive powers from the Holmes’?”

“You  _ deduced _ that I was going to propose?”

Molly answered with a smile. “I didn't  _ actually _ know if you want to get technical but I suspected. And you were so quiet and nervous tonight that I figured you must be.”

Anthea pursed her lips together. She hadn't really bollocksed it up yet. She glanced around and saw the gardens Molly had been talking about; without a word she pulled her over to them. Once there, she looked around, found a particularly pretty rose brush and planted Molly in front of it.

Molly said nothing through it all but a huge grin was stuck on her face. 

Anthea took a deep breath and pulled the ring from her pocket. When she looked to Molly, all smiles and love, her nerves melted away. She dropped to one knee and held out the opened box.

“Molly Hooper, will you marry me?”

Anthea watched the emotions play across Molly’s face and saw the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes before Molly’s head started nodding. 

“Yes, god, yes!” Molly voice cracked halfway through.

Anthea slipped the ring on Molly’s finger and let herself be pulled up into a kiss.

“I love you,” Molly whispered into Anthea’s lips.

Anthea smiled. “I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos, and constructive criticism always appreciated here or on my [Tumblr](http://yourdykeinshiningarmor.tumblr.com/).


End file.
